Expression of Empathy in Marathon Dispute

As a retired pastor of a Japanese American Christian church, we felt a great empathy for the Korean pastors who are urging the organizers of the L.A. Marathon to consider the possibility of a change of the annual event to another day ("Korean Pastors Say L.A. Marathon Keeps Worshipers Away," July 30). To those who faithfully look forward to the weekly worship experience with other believers, even the thought of not being able to attend church on one Sunday is deeply felt. We realize that we are speaking about a small percentage of congregations which are affected on this Sunday, but the Korean pastors are speaking for a great number of congregations in the inner city which are directly affected by the marathon.